Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, having just eaten a little salad with scallions and a little Eyetalian dressing, and then a Honey Crisp apple, an excellent brand and a very tasty apple. All very calorie friendly and which brought me up to just under 1000 calories. Whilst I ate the food, I listened to yet another Requiem, this one A German Requiem by Johannes Brahms. I quite enjoyed it, which isn’t a surprise since I’m a fan of Mr. Brahms. This performance is Otto Klemperer and I thought it great. He’s very divisive in terms of people reviewing him on Amazon – many five-star reviews but several one-star reviews – they hate Mr. Klemperer. But every time I read Mr. Klemperer hate I end up loving the recording, so I’ll just automatically get anything by Mr. Klemperer because if they hated it, I’ll most likely love it. Anyway, it was a nice German Requiem and I am, in fact, giving it a second listen right now, because unlike some other Requiems, this one is not too long at sixty-nine minutes. The 1961 recording sounds pretty wonderful. Otherwise, I’m relaxing and thinking about eating the other apple. You know what they say: An apple a day keeps the doctor way. So, two apples a day must keep the doctor and nurse away. That said, having a nurse here right now might not be so bad, as I could bellow at the top of my lungs, “NURSE!!!” Can you bellow at the bottom of your lungs? Just asking.
Yesterday was certainly something that could be called a day. I think I got six hours of sleep, arising at ten-thirty. I showered, then did stuff on the computer, answered e-mails, and had a one-hour telephonic conversation. Then the drop-in visitor dropped in and we visited for about ten minutes. After he left, I played a waiting game until my grocery order arrived. Of course, they were out of Diet Coke, so I’ll have to get that separately. They had until four to deliver, but thankfully they got here at two-thirty. I was starving, so I made three hot dogs – my low-calorie Hebrew National kind at forty-five calories per dog and only two grams of fat – I broiled those suckers and put them on low-calorie hot dog buns (140 per bun). One dog was just mustard and onions, and the other two were red cabbage and onions. They were really tasty and I haven’t had these in probably four years. It’s a great way to eat three hot dogs and the net calories are only 555 calories. And they’re filling, too.
Once I finished the food, I did more work on the computer and then picked up two little packages at the mail place, then came right back home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a double bill Blu and Ray – the first film was Roman Polanski’s Frantic from 1988. I have been looking for this Blu-ray for over three weeks, scouring the shelves. Yesterday, I went to the garage (when it’s hot like this, I can last maybe five minutes in there), put some stuff back on the shelves and there it was, right in plain sight. How I’ve missed it is anyone’s guess. Now if I can just find that damn Hitchcock Blu-ray set. I didn’t love Frantic when it came out, but I did like it a lot – I felt that its final third just didn’t work all that well. But the film has held up extremely well and each time I revisit it I like it better. Polanski’s direction is great, Harrison Ford is excellent, as is everyone in the large cast. The transfer is old and tired, clearly done for DVD. The second film on the same disc was Presumed Innocent, which I wrote about a decade ago when last I watched. It was a film I didn’t think I liked at all when it came out, but I realize now that I was confusing it with another courtroom thriller. So, I have no idea if I liked it as I didn’t see it. But a decade ago, I definitely liked it and liked it quite a bit. It’s not a great film, certainly, but it holds the attention, the story is good, and I love a good legal thriller. Alan J. Pakula directed in his usual style but not quite as good as he’d done in the past. The photography by Gordon Willis is lovely and dark, as was his wont. And it has a nice score by John Williams. But it’s the performances that make the film – Harrison Ford again, Brian Dennehey, and Raul Julia, all of whom are wonderful, and Paul Winfield and Bonnie Bedelia, who are both more than wonderful. The films are authored poorly and both movies deserve better than this kind of treatment.
After that, I went to Gelson’s and got a head of lettuce, some scallions, and two Honey Crisp apples and directly home. I made the salad and ate it whilst listening to the Brahms Requiem. Then I had one of the Honey Crisp apples, which was really good, actually. Then I began my second go-through of the Requiem whilst beginning these here notes, wishing a nurse was here so I could bellow at the top of my lungs, “NURSE!!!”
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hope for little miracles as there WILL be hell toupee should none arrive, I’ll do the same exact meal as yesterday – three hot dogs, then later a little salad. I do believe the other apple will be gone by then. I’ll hopefully pick something up at the mail place, continue planning the November and December shows, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow will be fun should I survive until then – a long-planned dinner at Tam O’Shanter with Doug Haverty and his ever-lovin’ Dorathy. Really looking forward to prime rib – haven’t had such a thing in two years and it’s actually pretty calorie friendly as long as I stay away from a baked potato and dessert – they do serve C.C. Brown’s hot fudge sundaes there so we’ll have to see. The rest of the week is more of the same and then on Friday I have back-to back Partridge Family events, starting at four my time and going to around seven. I also have to shoot a little thirty-second video for yet another Partridge thing in the UK. I’ll probably do that today.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, hope for little miracles, eat, hopefully pick up something interesting at the mail place, plan November and December Kritzerland shows, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Harrison Ford, Paul Winfield, and Brian Dennehey? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall hopefully dream of a nurse so I can yell at the top of my lungs, “NURSE!!!”